It's unusual to have fever, chills, headaches and body aches, and if they do occur, they are mild.

FLU: Fever is usually present, along with chills, headache and moderate-to-severe body aches and tiredness.

Symptoms can come on rapidly, within three to six hours.

Coughs are dry and unproductive, and sore throats are less common.

PREVENTION: To avoid colds and flu, wash your hands with warm water and soap after you've been out in public or around sick people.

Don't share cups or utensils.

And get a flu vaccination — officials say it's not too late, even in places where flu is raging.

TREATMENT: People with colds or mild cases of the flu should get plenty of rest and fluids.

Those with severe symptoms, such as a high fever or difficulty breathing, should see a doctor and may be prescribed antiviral drugs or other medications.

Children should not be given aspirin without a doctor's approval.

— Sources: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Roche, maker of Tamiflu

PORT ANGELES — Flu season is ramping up from coast to coast, and the North Olympic Peninsula is not immune.

“As we're seeing elsewhere in the country, this looks to be a fairly bad flu season in Washington,” said Dr. Tom Locke, public health officer for Clallam and Jefferson counties, who urged residents to be vaccinated against the flu.

“We're expecting this to get worse before it gets better,” Locke said.

“It's my estimation that it will probably be two weeks until we see the peak of this.”

The state Department of Health said Friday that flu is now widespread in Washington.

Flu is in more than half of the communities in the state, health department spokesman Donn Moyer said.

He added that activity statewide appears to be increasing and could be worse than the previous two seasons, which were considered mild.

Nationwide, health officials also have forecast a potentially bad flu season, but the latest numbers hint that the flu season may already have peaked in some states — not, however, in Washington.

Flu was widespread in 47 states last week, up from 41 the week before, the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, said Friday.

The only states without widespread flu are California, Mississippi and Hawaii.

The hardest hit states fell last week to 24 from 29, with Florida, Arkansas and South Carolina in the South, the first region hit this flu season, dropped off the list.

Locke predicted that the flu would remain widespread in Washington state through March.

“It won't all disappear in two weeks,” he said.

“Typically it peaks, then there's another two to four weeks after the peak.”

He added: “Influenza never completely goes away.”

If you haven't had a flu shot, now's the time to get one, state and local health officials said. It usually takes a week or two to develop protective immunity.

“It's not too late,” Locke said.

“We still recommend it.”

Flu vaccinations are recommended for everyone 6 months or older.

This year's vaccine is a good match for the H3N2 strain that is most prevalent this year, Locke said.

Nationwide, nearly 130 million doses of flu vaccine were distributed this year, and at least 112 million have been used.

Six people in Western Washington have died of the flu since September.

That includes one child and four who were elderly.

None of those deaths involved Peninsula residents, Locke said.

There were 18 flu deaths in the state in 2011-2012 and 36 the previous year. The most state deaths were 98 in the H1N1 swine flu season of 2009-2010.

Even though the H1N1 flu caused a pandemic, health officials saw a lower number of hospitalizations for flu than in a typical year.

Nationally, 20 children have died of the flu this season, The Associated Press said.

There is no running tally of adult deaths, but the CDC estimates that the flu kills about 24,000 people in an average year.

Locke declared the official start of flu season in Clallam and Jefferson counties late last month.

The declaration means that health care workers must wear masks if they haven't been vaccinated.

“We have a few confirmed cases of influenza in our patient population, but overall the majority of patients are here for other illnesses and conditions. Olympic Medical employees are also vulnerable to illness. Employees with influenza-like symptoms — whether or not they are immunized — are asked to stay home.”

OMC is planning to handle a sustained presence of the flu, Wall said.

Officials from Jefferson Healthcare and Forks Community Hospital did not return phone calls Friday.